Building Competency in Diabetes Education THE ESSENTIALS

4-4 | CHAPTER 4

CHANGES ACROSS THE LIFESPAN

Diabetes is a chronic condition that can be diagnosed at any age or stage of life. The goal for people with diabetes is to live their life to the fullest and effectively manage their disease. Although it is recognized that there are many factors which affect our life experiences and individualize our perspectives, there are also some common challenges with diabetes management encountered during various stages of life. It is important to be aware of these common hurdles in order to offer anticipatory guidance and help patients develop effective coping strategies. The lifespan can be divided into ages and stages, each presenting unique challenges. Figure 1 shows the common developmental stages.

Figure 1: Stages in the Lifespan

Infant Toddler Preschool

Adolescents

School-age

Young adults

Middle–age adults

Older adults

This chapter addresses each stage of development and discusses the: • Characteristics of the age. • Developmental task. • Goal of treatment specific to age. • Challenges in diabetes management specific to the stage. • Age appropriate interventions for diabetes management.